Profile of the programme

The Degree in Social Work aims at providing students with the necessary theoretical knowledge and the practical methods and techniques peculiar to social work, in order to prepare them to work as social assistants, both as freelance workers or as employees in the fields of public and private social services, administration, organisations and companies.
To this end, the Degree in Social Work will provide students with high-level competences in the fields of Sociology, Psychology, Law and Economics. At the same time, the students will also acquire an expertise as regards methods of social work in specific areas of interest for the profession of social assistant. In order to offer a complete preparation, during the course experts and qualified professionals of the social working sector will hold meetings and lessons in collaboration with the professors of the course. Students will also be offered the opportunity to engage in training experiences and internships in Italian and International structures thanks to the implementation of international agreements.

Admission requirements

Admission to the Degree in Social Work requires possession of a secondary school qualification or a valid certificate obtained abroad and recognised as equivalent.
Students must have a basic preparation (secondary school level), good command of the Italian language (comprehension and interpretation of Italian texts, ability to speak fluently in Italian) and capacities of logical thinking and argumentation.
A preliminary assessment of the students’ preparation takes place at the beginning of every academic year as scheduled by the Manifesto degli Studi.
Admission to the Course is not conditioned to the positive outcome of the test, which instead aims at assessing the background knowledge of the students and at identifying any gaps in their preparation that they need to addresand within the first year of the course. This must be achieved through individual study and/or by taking part to support activities and tutorials organised by the Department or by the Course itself.
Further information regarding assessment modalities and learning gaps fulfilment will be provided in the Course Regulation.

Key learning outcomes

The Degree in Social Work aims at providing students with the necessary theoretical-practical theoretical knowledge and the practical methods and techniques peculiar to social work, in order to prepare them to work as social assistants, both as freelance workers or as employees in the fields of public and private social services, administration, organisations and companies.
Graduates in Social Work must be able to identify and deal with situations of social disadvantage as regards individuals, groups, families and communities: such competences are fundamentals in a civil society marked by demographic dynamics, by the emergence of new needs and by new models of economic development. Graduates in Social Work must also be familiar with citizenship rights and laws and with the legislation regarding assistance to people in need.
The course aims at providing the suitable knowledge, competences and tools for the profession of social assistant, with particular focus on juridical/legal disciplines. Accordingly, the programme of the course is construed in such a way to allow future graduates to acquire fundamental knowledge in Sociology, Psychology, Law and Economics. At the same time, the students will also acquire an expertise as regards methods of social work in specific areas of interest for the profession of social assistant. In order to offer a complete preparation, during the course experts and qualified professionals of the social working sector will hold meetings and lessons in collaboration with the professors of the course. Students will also be offered the opportunity to engage in training experiences and internships in Italian and International structures thanks to the implementation of international agreements.

Graduates in Social Work will achieve:
- a qualified knowledge of basic social work disciplines with particular focus on the juridical area;
- a good command of social works methods and techniques;
- advanced practical and operational skills regarding the identification and handling of individual and community cases of social disadvantage;
- the capacity of autonomously and responsibly operating in social service structures;
- a basic knowledge of at least another EU language beyond Italian, especially for the exchange of information in the specific areas.
The attainment of such objectives will beis verified through midterm/final and written/oral assessment tests concerning the subject-matters and the complementary activities of the course, in view of the final examination.

Final examination, if any

The final examination consists in a written dissertation that the candidate shall present to a commission composed of the professors of the course. The final grade, is the result of the average mark from all the exams taken by the student during his/her career, the mark assigned for the thesis and the candidate’s performance during the final examination.